


playing a part

by tusktooth



Category: Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Theatre, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28434402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tusktooth/pseuds/tusktooth
Summary: Fig has a plan to save Aguefort Academy's theater department: recruit and pretend to date the principal's daughter. Nothing could go wrong with that.
Relationships: Ayda Aguefort/Figueroth Faeth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27
Collections: D20 Gift Exchange 2020





	playing a part

**Author's Note:**

> happy d20exchange [@catalystPaladin!](https://twitter.com/catalystPaladin) I had a lot of fun writing this fic for you and I hope that you enjoy it and that you have a very happy new year!!!

Fig was going to save the Aguefort Academy theater department. The fact of the matter was that it had been holding on by a thread for years. Different teachers kept coming in and leaving for various reasons, such as a pregnancy, a better job offer, and beef with the principal. At this point, the theater department had been downgraded to the drama club and Jace was their faculty advisor, which meant that the club was actually running itself. This wasn’t a huge problem last year, seeing as Hargis was still there at the time and that meant Carie used to come in to help despite having graduated. Now, the pressure was on Fig and Gorgug, who had ended up taking over by default. Not to mention their diminished funding, which was going to dwindle down to nothing if they didn’t put on a great show this year.

Now, Fig was typically the type of person to solve problems in the moment rather than coming up with extensive plans, but this was a very complicated situation that required a bit more foresight. She was going to have to take everything that being Adaine’s friend had taught her and throw together something that the school, and more importantly, the PTA, would never forget.

Really, it all boiled down to three things that were necessary to secure funding for the following year and save the department overall: increasing club popularity, winning over the favor of the principal, and putting on a fantastic show.

The first thing was absolutely necessary in order to increase ticket sales, which was a surefire way to get the PTA on their side, seeing as more tickets sold meant more revenue, whether the show was good or not. What’s more, kids who did like the show would talk about it and then their parents would hear about that as well. Additionally, the more popular the club was, the more people would join it next year, which would ensure that there was someone to take over when Fig and Gorgug graduated in two years.

The second thing may not be as obvious at first but was extremely necessary, seeing as Arthur Aguefort didn’t seem to care for their department at all and his word meant more than anyone else’s did when it came to the school board meeting where they decided which clubs got extra funding compared to the tiny base amount that was given to every official school organization. Aguefort already wasn’t too friendly toward the club, seeing as the last teacher had a rivalry with him that resulted in the play that year directly making fun of him for about 20 minutes straight. His hurt feelings, even after that teacher had gone, had only increased this year, when Gorgug had taken over as one of the leaders of the club. Nobody really knew why Aguefort hated Gorgug but he sure did. Fig, as the other leader of the club, was going to have to find a way to win him over despite that.

Putting on an amazing show would typically be no problem for the theater club but, the fact was, given limited resources and people, it was going to be very difficult. Fortunately, Fig knew exactly how to solve that problem: make Adaine handle it. If there was anything Adaine could do, it was micromanage something to a level of perfection that Fig could never obtain on her own.

They were going to be putting on a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet because it was a familiar story to most students and, by modernizing it, they would be making it more relatable for them. Romeo and Juliet in a high school setting had been done about a million times and, for some reason, people ate it up like it was brand new every time. That was what Fig was banking on, at least. She was going to be playing Romeo because she was the best actress in the department and the role of Juliet wasn’t really much of her thing.

And that brought her to the crux of her plan: she was going to get Ayda Aguefort, the daughter of the principal, to play Juliet. Sure, she seemed to be more of a behind-the-scenes type of person, but Fig had noticed in class that she could be pretty charismatic when she was more in her own element and, being the daughter of Aguefort, her participation in the show would ensure his presence at their performances.

Additionally, to strum up publicity among the various gossip circles of Aguefort Academy, she was going to pretend to date her. If people were talking about them, then they’d be inadvertently spreading word of the show itself, especially when Fig staged a big dramatic breakup right before opening night.

This was quite possibly the best plan that Fig had ever had.

“This is a terrible plan,” Adaine replied once she had explained it to her. “Have you ever even spoken with Ayda?”

“We’ve probably spoken in class together or something,” she said with a shrug. “I figured that you could get me in contact with her since you’re friends.”

“I can certainly try but she’s not going to agree to any of this, especially not pretending to date.” Adaine shook her head. “She’s never once expressed any desire to act and she’s guarded enough that I’m pretty sure pretending to date a complete stranger is also not really her cup of tea.”

“Just get me in contact with her,” she insisted. “It’s for the good of the theater department.”

“She has no vested interest in the theater department,” she pointed out.

Fig put on the best puppy dog eyes look that she could.

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll have her come by the drama room after school tomorrow.”

“You’re the best, Adaine!” she exclaimed, reaching over to hug her friend tightly.

Adaine snorted. “Glad to be of service, I guess.”

* * *

Being five minutes late to her meeting with Ayda probably wasn’t the best start to their professional relationship based on what she knew about the other girl but here Fig was, running across the school to get to the drama room as fast as she could. It wasn’t her fault, honestly. She had been trying to recruit Fabian to join the show as Mercutio since Gorgug had asked him before and gave up when he said “no.” He should have known by this point in their friendship that if you wanted to get Fabian to do something for you then you had to stroke his ego a bit and convince him that it would make him look cool. It was in his best interests anyway; Fabian would rock it on a stage.

But now, here she was, bursting into the drama room with heavy breaths as Ayda was standing up with her bag slung over her shoulder, seemingly ready to leave.

“Wait,” Fig panted, reaching a hand out toward Ayda, which she easily dodged.

“I’ve already waited,” Ayda replied. “And now I would like to leave so I can study. My grades matter to me more than this club that I have no interest in.”

“But listen, you could be the star of our show!” she exclaimed. “You could be Juliet!”

Ayda cocked her head to the side. “With no audition? That hardly seems ethical. I don’t have much in terms of acting experience and you’d like to promote me to a starring role?”

“Listen, the department is going to die entirely if you don’t help us with this. I know you might not care but Adaine has been part of the crew for the past two years. She’s your friend and she cares.”

Ayda stopped to think for a moment. “But how am I even a solution?”

“Your dad-” she started.

“My father doesn’t care what I do in my spare time,” she interrupted in a tense voice. “Nor does he care much at all. Persuading me to join your show will only waste both of our time.”

She thought for a moment about how she could turn this around and get her to help. She thought about what might convince her to do the same thing. The solution she settled for wasn’t the fairest thing to say, but she knew it would work nonetheless.

“Then maybe this show will make him care,” she told Ayda. “The lead in the school play is an impressive feat. If it’s successful, he’ll have to be proud of that success. It’ll reflect on him too, after all.”

Ayda hesitated but finally nodded. “Perhaps I’ll stop by at your next meeting. I’ll see if this will interest me enough to take up my time.”

Fig debated leaving it there and picking up the other half later, with hopes that it would make her more convincing. In the end, she decided that it was best to be upfront.

“There’s more to it,” she told her. “I think that we should pretend to be dating. It’ll drum up interest in the show because people will be gossiping about us dating as costars.”

She expected Ayda to grow angry and to tell her off, but the other girl remained completely calm.

“And then we will pretend to break up after the show?” she asked.

“Just before it, actually,” Fig explained. “Then people will be talking about us more and will be anxious to find out what happens when two exes have to pretend to love each other on opening night.”

Ayda nodded. “I’m not certain that I will enjoy the acting aspect but if I do and we proceed with being costars in the show, I would be willing to pretend to date you, Figueroth Faeth. For the good of the theater program.”

A wide grin spread across Fig’s face. “So, I’ll see you here tomorrow after school for our first rehearsal?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I suggest that you arrive on time.”

She walked out of the room without a goodbye.

Fig pumped her fist silently. She was really going to save the department. Screw Adaine for not believing in her.

* * *

The next day was their first rehearsal and, heeding Ayda’s words, Fig actually arrived on time, which was admittedly not typical behavior for her. That’s why she and Gorgug did this together. He wasn’t much of a front and center actor, opting instead to do more of the directorial work and keep the meetings organized. She was the one with out-there ideas and the need to be on stage. It was a nice balance to have and was only enhanced by their close friendship.

Ayda sat near the front, looking a bit guarded. Adaine dropped into the seat next to her and she saw her shoulders relax a bit.

Fabian had actually shown up to the meeting on time as well and Fig dropped her stuff off next to him in the back row before taking her place beside Gorgug in the front.

“Welcome guys to our first rehearsal,” Gorgug said to everyone. “I know things are weird this year, what with us not doing our typical formal audition process for certain roles. We just don’t have the manpower or time this year to run full auditions. Especially because we’d have to market it more and Fig and I had a math test last week. There are a few roles that have been posted that you can audition for since we don’t have the perfect person for them yet and you can go ahead and schedule that with me if you’re interested.”

“Today is about getting to know each other and taking a look at the script,” Fig took over. “You all should have grabbed a copy off the table when you came in. We’ll get to that soon. For now, we’re going to group off. People interested in working with the set should see Adaine. If you want to work with costuming, see Kristen. Lights and sound, go to Riz. And then anyone who would like to act in the show can come up here with me and Gorgug.”

She saw Ayda look hesitantly toward Adaine for a moment before walking toward where she was standing.

Gorgug smiled as she approached. “It’s nice to see you, Ayda. I’m happy that you’re joining our show this year!”

“Let’s get to know each other,” Fig told the group, trying to think about the least painful icebreaker she could before settling on basic introductions. “If everyone could say their name, what grade they’re in, and an interesting fact about themself, that would be perfect.”

“I’ll start,” Gorgug offered. “I’m Gorgug, I’m a junior, and I really enjoy tinkering with things in my spare time.”

Fig went next. “My name is Fig, also a junior, and I fucking shred on the bass.”

They went around one by one and finally, it was Ayda’s turn.

“My name is Ayda. I’m a senior,” she informed the group. “I am completely uninteresting, so I don’t know what I should say for a fact, I apologize.”

She looked her over for a moment. “I know that isn’t true. You’re very interesting.”

“You don’t know me.”

“And yet you interest me,” she said with a shrug. “But we can move on if you don’t want to share anything.”

She paused for a moment, looking at Fig with wide eyes, and then nodded. “Yes. We should probably take a look at the script.”

“Yes,” Gorgug said with a smile. “It’s really good. Let me explain the base of this adaptation.”

As he blabbered on about the script, Fig’s focus was on Ayda. She seemed a little shellshocked but was listening to Gorgug with great interest. Hopefully, that was a sign that this arrangement was going to work out.

* * *

It took about two days for Fig to figure out that Ayda was a talented actress. It was about two weeks until she realized that she loved it too. As she got closer with the group, the tension in Ayda’s shoulders began to lessen each day. She even started smiling sometimes when she thought nobody was paying attention. Fig was paying attention though, and it was radiant. She was a star.

Now that it was time to start implementing the second part of the plan, Fig was terrified that it would screw everything up and that Ayda would decide to leave a club that was clearly making her happy.

They were going on their first “date” tonight. It wasn’t anything too fancy, just a trip to Basrar’s after rehearsal on a Friday afternoon, but still, it felt like a big deal. The point of the date was really to get people talking since Basrar’s was a fairly popular afternoon hangout spot for Aguefort students. Fig also wanted a chance to actually get to know Ayda beyond what she’d been told by Adaine.

Unfortunately, Fig wasn’t getting to know her much at all.

It had been fine when they started. They got their ice cream, cinnamon for Ayda and cherry chocolate crunch for Fig, and tucked into a booth, chatting mostly about school and the play.

But, in about ten minutes, the place really started to get crowded. It was kind of the point; they wanted to be spotted by people from school but Fig could tell that Ayda was getting overwhelmed by the crowd and the noise and the fact that people from school kept looking over at them with curious expressions.

She instinctively reached out toward Ayda’ s hand but paused and met her eyes first. “Can I?”

The other girl squeezed her eyes shut and nodded.

Fig gently squeezed Ayda’s hand. “Are you alright?”

She shook her head.

“Do you want to leave?”

Ayda’s jaw tensed. “I don’t want to ruin this for you.”

“It’s not ruined,” Fig insisted. “C’mon. We can eat our ice cream and walk around the park instead.”

She hesitantly nodded and the two of them made their way out of the ice cream shop together. Ayda visibly relaxed as soon as they were hit with a wave of fresh air.

“Do you feel better?” she asked her when they got to the park.

“I do,” she said. “I apologize for my discomfort. I didn’t mean for us to have to leave.”

“You don’t have to apologize for getting overwhelmed,” Fig told her. “It’s not your fault. Besides, we’re friends.”

Ayda cocked her head to the side. “We are?”  
She shrugged. “I mean, I’d like to be.”

A slight smile formed on Ayda’s face. “I accept. We’re friends.”

They walked around for a while and then ended up sitting together on a bench next to the creek that wound its way through the park.

“You’re a really good actress, you know,” Fig told her. “You said that you had no acting experience and it sounded like you were worried that you’d be bad or you wouldn’t like it. I wanted you to know that you’re genuinely really talented and it seems like you like it too.”

“I quite enjoy it,” she admitted. “I enjoy having a chance to be someone else for a moment without having to sacrifice being myself on the inside. It’s a distraction as well. I enjoy studying and learning new things but it’s enriching to do something else.”

“I agree with the part about it being a chance to be someone else,” she told her. “But for me, it’s more that I can forget myself. If I’m playing a part then I don’t have to worry about my own life at all or even think about who I am, you know?”

“I don’t understand. Why would you ever want to be anyone other than yourself?” Ayda asked. “You’re cool and beautiful and funny and you have a lot of friends.”

She let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, because I’m always playing a part, even when I’m off the stage.”

Ayda hummed for a moment. “Are you playing a part right now?”

Fig paused before replying. “No, I don’t think that I am.”

“Then I truly think that you are the best possible iteration of the parts that you play, Fig Faeth.”

She had always been the type of person that didn’t think that she wanted to be truly seen by others but now, with Ayda seeing her for more than it seemed her own parents could, Fig wanted nothing more than to actually be known.

* * *

Their plan was working. People were gossiping about the love affair between the two leads of the play, which led to further discussion about the play itself. And rehearsals were going well too. Adaine and Gorgug were truly the organizational MVPs that the show needed because everything had been running so smoothly. The cast was talented and worked hard, even Fabian, who adamantly claimed that he didn’t care about any of this.

And, all the while, Fig and Ayda grew closer. They had more and more “dates” as the weeks passed by. Mostly in public but not without those private moments of genuine conversation that they’d had on their first date. Fig had gone over her house once, more to get some help with a class than any official sort of thing, and they had ended up talking more than anything once it became so clear that her father was more of an absence in her life than he should be. And, well, parental issues was something that Fig understood pretty well.

It wasn’t until a week and a half before opening night that Fig realized that what they had been developing was never meant to last forever.

“When are you and Ayda breaking up?” Adaine asked Fig while they were sitting together on the floor of her room in Mordred Manor and splitting a pizza.

Her eyes widened and she dropped her pizza back onto the plate.

She gave her an amused smile. “You can’t seriously have forgotten about that part of your plan? Don’t you need to strum up gossip again?”

“We do,” she said, a bit miserably. “I’ve been having so much fun with all of our fake dates that it kind of slipped my mind.”

“Well, from how she talks about you, it sounds like you’ll be able to remain friends after it’s all over,” she replied. “I get the sense that she’s been having a lot of fun as well.”

“I-” she started, but she was unsure of what to say. She had an entire breakup to stage, as publicly as possible to stir up gossip. Maybe they could do it at school. But what if that made Ayda uncomfortable? Maybe if she waited a few extra days and made it as close to the show as possible then-

“You know, if you don’t want to break up with her, then you could always just tell her that,” Adaine suggested.

She squinted at her. “Are you using your oracle powers on me?”

“Nope,” she replied. “Only best friend powers.”

Fig sighed. “Maybe you were right about this being a horrible idea all along.”

“Why?” she asked. “If you like her then just tell her.”

“I don’t want to put her in an uncomfortable position before the show,” she explained. “She really loves acting, Adaine, and she wants to show her dad how talented she is. I don’t want my stupid feelings to get in the way of that.”

“I honestly don’t think they will,” Adaine told her. “She really enjoys spending time with you.”

“I’m not willing to take that risk.”

She sighed. “I understand that but what if the breakup is more hurtful for her?”

“Ayda is the type of person that likes when things are planned ahead of time,” she reminded her. “Ending our fake relationship was always part of the plan. Besides, we still need the attendance to save the department.”

“I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?” Adaine said with a sad smile.

Fig returned the very same smile. “It’s for the good of all of us.”

* * *

The breakup itself was a bit anticlimactic. Ayda dumped her in the cafeteria during lunch without any shouting, just a hastily written script and Fig marching off with a sadness that wasn’t as fake that it was meant to be.

But it did work. Their ticket sales had skyrocketed since the breakup happened. And, based on how the dress rehearsal had gone, it was going to be a show that nobody could forget. Her plan was going to work. They were going to save the theater department.

Why did Fig still feel so empty inside? She was standing backstage in full costume, ready to go on in five minutes’ time, and all she could focus on was the aching of her own heart. At least it was going to be useful to channel into the first scene of the show.

“Fig?” said a voice from behind her.

She turned to find Gorgug standing there, headset equipt for his introduction of the show.

“Oh gods, did something happen?” she asked.

“That’s what I wanted to know,” he told her. “You and Ayda both seem so distracted. Zelda told me that Ostentatia heard you two broke up. Are you okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” she lied. “Gorgug, it was never real anyway. We faked being in a relationship to sell more tickets to the show. The breakup was part of the plan.”

“Does Ayda know that?”

“She does,” Fig said with a nod. “We planned it out when I convinced her to join the show the day before rehearsals started. I thought it would be a good way to sell tickets and, well, win over Aguefort, I guess.”

“And you didn’t tell your co-director?” he asked, face falling slightly.

“I didn’t want to stress you out,” she admitted.

“I could have helped,” he told her. “Now, well, I’ll help the best I can. You  _ really _ need to go speak with Ayda.”

She shook her head. “It’s too late, Gorgug.”

“It’s not,” he replied. “You like each other. There’s no way the affection was fake. If none of it mattered, neither of you would be so upset right now.”

“Do you think it’ll ruin the show?” she asked, eyes widening. “But if I tell her, she might freak out and leave and then it’ll be  _ more  _ ruined.”

“I don’t care about the show,” he told her. “I care about my friends, who are both clearly upset right now. And you need to give Ayda more credit. She wouldn’t bail on the show, on her  _ friends _ .”

She hesitated for a moment. “I don’t know, Gorgug.”

He smiled sadly. “She’s in the dressing room if you change your mind. The show starts in 3 minutes.”

Fig started running as soon as Gorgug was out of sight.

* * *

When she reached the dressing room, there was a quiet sniffling on the other side.

She paused for a mere second before knocking on the door. “Ayda?”

There was a slight rustling before Ayda replied. “Yes, Fig. I am fine. Ready to go on stage.”

“Can I come in?” she asked.

“I would prefer it if you stayed on the other side.”

“Alright,” she replied, sitting down on the ground next to the door. “I really need to talk to you but it’s fine if I have to stay out here.”

“I am a bit nervous to go on but I won’t let everyone down,” Ayda told her. “No need to worry.”

“I made a mistake,” she told her.

“Me too,” she replied. “I should have never agreed to be in the show or pretend to be in a relationship with you.”

With a dagger to the heart, Fig’s face fell. “Oh.”

“I did it because I thought you were exquisite,” she confessed. “How could I ever be so naive as to think that a woman as confident and charming as Fig Faeth could fall for someone as strange as me.”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “Strange? Ayda, you’re not strange. Sure, you’re  _ different _ from anyone else but that isn’t a flaw. That’s what makes you so outstanding.”

“As a friend?”

“Or as more,” she told her. “But if I can’t have you as a girlfriend, for real this time, I’m more than happy to have you as a friend.”

The door creaked open, revealing Ayda sitting on the other side, mere inches away.

“I broke up with you because I was scared that you’d run if I asked to have this for real. Everyone always leaves,” Fig confessed. “I don’t want what we had to be fake. I love you for real, Ayda Aguefort.”

She wiped the tears from her face. “I love you too, Fig Faeth.”

“Can I kiss you?” she asked.

Ayda nodded.

Fig leaned forward and their lips met through the crack in the door.

_ “Good evening, theatergoers,” _ said Gorgug’s voice through the speakers.

They broke apart.

“You should go,” Ayda told her.

She smiled. “I’ll see you on-stage. You’re going to do amazing.”

“You will too,” she replied.

“Do you want to get ice cream after the show?” she asked. “I don’t think Basrar’s will be as busy.”

“I would quite enjoy that,” Ayda said with a smile.

Fig ran back toward the wing to prepare to go onstage. She would play a part here on the stage but afterward, when it was just the two of them, she could just be Fig.

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://adaine.tumblr.com/)


End file.
